As expected the EPA approved Dow’s Enlist Duo on October 15. Designed to supplant Monsanto’s Roundup Ready seeds and pesticide that has led to resistant weeds, Enlist Duo is also corn and soy genetically engineered to be resistant to pesticide which is then used to blanket the crops. In this case the pesticide is a combination of glyphosate and 2,4-D. This is expected to increase the use of 2,4-D seven fold by 2020 from 26 million pounds to 175 million pounds annually. This will increase the amount of pesticide in our food and water and will continue to destroy habitat necessary for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

The EPA released an analysis today showing that treating soybean seeds with neonicotinoid pesticides does not increase yields. This is really important because neonics are thought to be a major contributor to bee deaths. The findings, that there are other agents now available that are equally effective and don’t cost more, are important as the agency moves forward with the risk benefit assessment of neonics. Last December the European Commission banned neonics because of their contribution to bee deaths.

In a NY Times article today professor Deborah Swackhamer found a surprisingly wide range of contaminants in the Zumbro River in Minnesota.These included caffeine, antibiotics, anticonvulsants, painkillers and pesticides. Dr. Swackhamer said that we have known for 15 years that these chemicals slip through wastewater treatment.
If we don’t use these chemicals on our yards and gardens and bring extra drugs to the police station for drug take back, rather than flushing them down the toilet, we can protect our rivers. AND OUR DRINKING WATER! The good news is we can make a big difference, and its easy!

Noah Wilson-Rich, a scientist and beekeeper, explains today in the New York Times that bees are still dying, but not from colony collapse disorder (CCD). In CCD the bees disappear, now dead bees are being found. He says bees have been at the precipice before, saved by the efforts of beekeepers. Honeybees, native bees, and other pollinators including butterflies, moths, flies, and hummingbirds, will all benefit from the same measures. Reducing or eliminating pesticides, diverse crops, and pollinator friendly plants. Our backyards can be a refuge for bees and other pollinators while farmers are hopefully moving to more sustainable agricultural practices.

I really don’t like being near spiders, but these Black and Yellow Argiopes are so beautiful that I love to see them in my garden. They are harmless beneficial spiders with beautiful webs and eat lots of bugs. Our nights in New York are pleasantly chilly, days are getting shorter and leaves are beginning to fall. I was harvesting about 30 pounds of tomatoes a day until this week, when it has dropped off substantially.

So fortunate to have an interview today with Leonard Lopate! New York City’s water quality depends on how people in Delaware, Sullivan, and Westchester Counties take care of their yards. Pesticides from New York City wash into the rivers and the harbor, and wind up in fish we eat. Caring for our yards and gardens without these chemicals will together make a big impact. It is very important to our health-and very easy, too!

Turf grass becomes dormant when the weather is hot. This allows invasive species like Japanese stilt grass and Japanese clover to intrude. The best way to manage these is to optimize your soil culture and lightly spread grass seed over your existing lawn to outcompete these weeds. Between Labor Day and Halloween is an excellent time to do this, but wait for the excessive heat to abate.
a. Aerate to relieve compaction

b. Overseed to outcompete weeds and choosing the right seed for your area

c. Test the soil for nitrogen, phosphorus and pH with a soil testing kit or with the help of a university cooperative extension. Use compost to replete nutrients only if necessary and lyme to adjust the pH if needed. If available you can test for micronutrients like Calcium and Magnesium. Micronutrients are essential to healthy soil bacteria. Good compost is rich in macro and micro nutrients.

d. Leave the clippings to replace nutrients and help retain moisture

e. Let your lawn grow to 4″ and mow it down to 3″. This gives the plant more area for photosynthesis and longer, stronger, roots.

Well, almost all about soil culture. But it is also about changing our mindset so that we are happy with a few weeds because we know it is healthier for our families.

A retrospective study looked at several thousand children with either Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) or ADHD and matched them with three times as many children without either disorder. Researchers reviewed the mother’s medical records and found
-Mothers being given antidepressants prior to pregnancy and during pregnancy had a higher chance of having a baby with ASD. Here, researchers say that statistically the risk is associated with treatment prior to pregnancy, not during pregnancy.
-Mothers receiving antidepressants only during pregnancy had a higher chance of having a baby with ADHD.
The risk may be related either to the depression or the therapy, or both.
Researchers stress that this is not a reason not to get treated.

It is, however, a great reason not to dispose of antidepressants (or other drugs) down the drain! Keep them out of our water supply, so we are only getting them when we need them.
Take unused drugs to drug take back so they can be responsibly disposed of.

This praying mantis was eating native sweat bees (sadly), and also yellow jackets (YAY!) on the holly in my yard. Indiscriminate and voracious, it eats good bugs and bad. This one was near our outdoor dinning table, so I am hoping it eats whatever yellow jackets and mosquitoes are around.

These Scarlet Runner beans are beautiful to look at on the vine and attract bees and hummingbirds. They are delicious and decorative to cook with, and maybe best of all they enrich the soil while they grow!